Tag: self esteem

This picture book celebrates the power of a fresh haircut, the transformation that comes with it and the empowerment that it brings. Written in second person, the poetry draws the reader in and right onto the barber chair with a drape that becomes a superhero cape and men around that seem presidential and majestic. There is affirmation in this book, a celebration of the barbershop, the culture and the community. The text of the book reads like slam poetry, speaking truths and adding wonder. The illustrations are paintings that capture the place but also the joy of the haircut. The combination is exceptional, a book that belongs in every public library in every community. Appropriate for ages 5-7. (Reviewed from library copy.)

When I was little, I asked every day for an entire year whether it was my birthday and then realized how very long it was between them! So this book is exactly the book I needed as a small child. This picture book ask the question over and over again about when a birthday is coming, dreaming of cake and presents and a party. Fogliano uses rhythm and internal rhymes to give the book a fast paced structure that almost sings. It is quick and funny and infectious. Robinson’s illustrations are a treat with their use of collage and a diverse cast of children longing for their special day. The book ends with a birthday, just as it should. Share this one with children longing for their next birthday or who are just about to have one. Appropriate for ages 2-4. (Review copy supplied by Roaring Brook Press.)

This shining and shimmery board book is done in a large format. The thick pages are filled with metallic shine that is embossed on the pages to create texture that can be felt by little fingers, allowing it to be explored by touch. The text of the book is simple and inviting, exploring all of the ways in which the world shines. There are snowflakes and flowers and forests and leaves, it all comes together in a celebration of that child. A great book to share aloud with one or two children and discuss the pictures together. There is so much to explore here! Appropriate for ages 1-3. (Reviewed from library copy.)

Charlie decided one morning to take the bright red purse that his grandmother had given him and wear it to school. His dad noticed immediately and mentioned that boys don’t carry purses, but Charlie continued down the stairs with his purse. His father thought about the Hawaiian shirts he would love to wear to work. At school, a girl in his class noticed the purse and told Charlie that boys don’t carry purses. Charlie carried on. The girl started to wonder about wearing face paint to school. At lunch, some older boys pointed out that Charlie had a purse and then one of the boys wondered about what it would be like to cook real food at school. The crossing guard mentioned his favorite sparkly shoes when he saw Charlie’s purse. The next day, things changed. Charlie still carried the big red purse but others were doing what they wanted to too.

Demont manages to write a book about embracing children who are not following gender norms without making the book about lecturing readers. The clever piece of the book is that those protesting Charlie’s purse are then inspired themselves to break with societal norms and rules in their own way. Wimmer does a great job with making the illustrations bright and merry, showing Charlie as a happy child who is sure of himself even as others question him. A winner for families and schools being more inclusive about breaking gender norms. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (Reviewed from e-galley received from Netgalley and Annick Press.)

In a world of more than 7 billion people, you are unique. This picture book explains just how special you are. People live in different types of places around the world. People can be quiet or noisy. People have different types of bodies, come in different colors, shapes and sizes. They wear different clothes. People are also similar. They are all fragile, all need compliments and care. Some people are happy, some scared. They come from different families, different faiths. All of those differences add up to mean that there is no other person just like you!

Originally published in Belgium, this picture book has a decidedly European feel to it. The loosely structured book has a lovely meandering style, rather like a conversation with a good friend about how special you are. The illustrations are smaller and more contained, the pages filled with plenty of white space. They have a playful style, showing different people and lots of different children. A lovely book to encourage self esteem and individuality. Appropriate for ages 4-6. (E-galley provided by Netgalley and Westminster John Knox Press.)

Told in simple yet profound poetry, this picture book asks a deep question about identity. Why are you the person that you are? What would happen if you were someone else? How would that change you and your experience? Due to how simple the text is, the illustrations are key to the success of the book. They are vibrant and rich, showing an urban setting with lots of different races and religions living in harmony together. This picture book is a great way to start a discussion with a class or single child. Perfect for public libraries in search for diverse picture books that invite children to think deeply about the subject. Appropriate for ages 3-5. (ARC provided by Scholastic.)

Amanda knows just how she wants her first day of Kindergarten to go. She will print her name large on the blackboard, she will build the tallest tower, and she will run faster than everyone else. But when she gets to Kindergarten, it doesn’t go exactly as planned. Amanda’s favorite color is brown, but another girl dressed all in pink won’t leave Amanda alone. In fact, Bitsy is the one who gets to put her name in the middle of the blackboard. Amanda is scolded for building her tower too tall and she isn’t the fastest either. So she decides to head to her brother’s 2nd grade class and just skip Kindergarten entirely.

Ransom has depicted a certain type of child, one that is vastly confident about school and then realizes that what they have dreamed up is not actually reality. It’s a great variant on the typical Kindergarten picture book about the fear of starting school. It also shows that overconfidence can be just as difficult as being worried. Ransom tells an entire story in her picture book, allowing Amanda to feel big emotions and work through them in her own unique way.

Grove’s illustrations add a large amount of appeal to the book. Amanda remains appealing to the reader even though she is prickly, thanks in part to the way she is shown on the page. From her brown cardigan to her red high tops, she is a vibrant character on the page even as she makes plenty of mistakes.

A nice twist to the typical starting school books, this picture book shows everyone has a lot to learn in Kindergarten. Appropriate for ages 4-6.

Pete is a little elephant who prefers not to wear pants. He likes to pretend to be other things that are also gray and also don’t wear pants. Maybe he’s a boulder? But the boulders don’t like his knock-knock jokes and never respond. Maybe he’s a squirrel? But he manages to scare the squirrels away. A pigeon? A cloud? Or maybe, he’s exactly who he knows he is, a little one who doesn’t want to wear clothes.

I love that there is a moral here, but it’s for the parents not the kids. That is to let your little one be who they truly are. The ending has the mother elephant who is dressed quite conservatively and has been watching with a worried expression finally just accepting Pete for who he is. The writing is mostly done in asides spoken by Pete and the other animals. It’s wry and great fun, just right for reading aloud.

Watkins’ illustrations have a great softness to them, colors that are subtle and smear on the page. The background isn’t a pure white but a soft textured gray. The pages move from full double-page spreads to smaller comic-book framing that plays in tune with the speech bubbles on the pages. Don’t miss the denim end pages too, and notice the difference between the front and back ones.

A joyous call to support our children, whoever they are. Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Rachel is looking forward to a great year. She has two best friends and it’s looking like she may not just make the soccer team but may be playing forward. She even has a crush on a boy, Tate, in her class. Just as her plans start to take off though, she is hit with news about her scoliosis which has been being monitored for years. Rachel must wear a brace to correct the curve of her spine. She has to wear it 23 hours a day, every day. The brace changes how she can kick the soccer ball, how she breathes, how she runs and how she eats. Worse though, it changes how everyone sees her, including her best friends and Tate. What had been going to be the best year ever has become the worst year ever.

Gerber, who wore a brace herself for scoliosis, has created a piercingly clear look at life-changing events like wearing a brace. She takes the time to really look at the brace itself, the impact that it has on an athlete, and the changes it makes in self-perception. I haven’t read a book since Deenie by Judy Blume that tackles this subject and it was high time for a new take on it.

As the adults in Rachel’s life push her to quickly accept the brace, Rachel pushes back and insists on continuing to play soccer. Rachel appears to be coping well, but she is bottling so much up inside her. She is a great character, demonstrating with honesty and strength the importance of voicing aloud to those you love what you are experiencing and feeling. Once Rachel begins to do that, others can support her and help her through. It’s a lesson in vulnerability leading to better understanding that is gracefully presented.

This is the second book about Gaston and his friends. The focus in this picture book is on Antoinette, the little poodle growing up in a family of bulldogs. Each of her brothers has a special talent: one is fast, another is strong, and the third is fast. Antoinette’s mother tells her that she also has a special talent, but no one knows what it could be. Then one day in the park, Gaston’s sister goes missing. Can Antoinette be the one who finds her? It depends on whether she can trust her nose and her heart.

DiPucchio has a wonderful voice for picture books. She creates a natural rhythm with her writing, using repetition skillfully and not overplaying it. She understands the importance of little pauses, creating special moments in the prose that really pull a reader’s or listener’s attention to important parts. DiPucchio also manages to create real tension in a picture book that is appropriate for a preschool audience.

Robinson’s illustrations are bright, bold and large. They work well for sharing with a group. Against the bright backgrounds, the white and brown dogs pop visually. The acrylic paint offers deep colors that have some texture to them, adding to the visual appeal.

Another winning picture book from a master author, make sure to check in with Gaston’s story too! Appropriate for ages 3-5.

Jade attends a mostly-white private school on scholarship, riding the city bus to and from school as her mother works multiple jobs just to keep a roof over their head. Jade is one of the best students in Spanish class and she looks forward to being selected to travel abroad. But a different opportunity arises as Jade is placed in Women to Women, a mentorship program for at-risk African-American girls. Jade’s mentor, Maxine, is often distracted or late, seemingly more interested in her love life than in Jade. Sometimes though, she is wonderful, paying attention to Jade’s collage art, talking about ways to get her art seen. Still, Jade is the one with things to show and teach even as she is learning herself to find her own voice in life.

Watson’s writing is superb. She captures the conflicting issues of being poor and African-American in today’s America. There are opportunities, yes, particularly for talented students. Still, those opportunities can come at the cost of other decisions and choices. There is the tension of being the one leaving poverty to another place and not wanting to lose family and friends along the way. Even neighborhoods and ways of life are sources of pain and emotions.

Watson doesn’t shy away from directly addressing racism in the book. She gives Jade a new best friend who is white and who doesn’t understand the racism that Jade is experiencing and can’t support Jade in the way that she should. This is handled with sensitivity but also clarity, about what the role of white friends should be in our world. Jade herself is learning that she needs to speak up for herself, insist on fairness, and continue to push. Black Lives Matter is clear on the pages too, showing the violence of society, the murders by police and the impact that has on everyone in a community.

Powerful, strong and filled with writing that calls for action, this book is simply stellar. Appropriate for ages 13-16.